Thread: Payback days
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Old 07-05-2022, 01:04 PM
  #8  
Herkflyr
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Joined APC: Jul 2007
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I don't want to come across as a know-it-all, but you all are misunderstanding the application of PB/PR days--as I also misunderstood for quite awhile. It can get rather confusing. Some corrections.

Originally Posted by FangsF15 View Post
As frustrating as it is, I like the system as it is. Yes, it requires a little effort, but sometimes it works in your favor. For example, if you have a GS that releases just after 1500, getting that PR on your schedule can protect you if you block in early. Thankfully, they don’t then go back and correct the PR to the day before. When rolling thunder, this equates to protecting an entire extra day off.
Minutes under don't count against you. My example of a 4-day-become-2-day was an example of a reroute. Merely blocking in 15 minutes early on your final day means nothing in terms of PB days. You always "fill in" the minutes under, then see what your actual block/release is. The later of all those times, plus 9 hours, is when PB days start--or to state another way, when your violated X days now begin.

When awarded a reserve GS, your PB days are usually immediately posted on your schedule. These are merely "placeholder" PB days, assuming you fly the trip as it was constructed when awarded. After you finish your trip, the PB days are/should be updated, reflecting the trip as actually flown, as if that were your original trip award to being with! (important) Minutes under don't count against you. Arriving late, however, will ensure that your PB days start and end later. Here's a couple of examples to make my point.

1. Pilot is awarded 3-day reserve GS, scheduled to block in at 1300. Add 30 minutes for a formal release at 1330, add nine hours, and your X days immediately begin at 2230 on day 3. If you block in 10 minutes early on your last leg, your X days still begin at 2230. You aren't punished for the early arrival.

2. On the other hand, if for whatever reason you arrive at 1350, 50 minutes late, then your PB days won't begin until 2320 on day 3.

3. Now let's take this same 3-day and now it becomes a 2-day due to a reroute. Let's say the original trip had a MCO layover on day two, then on day three was scheduled to fly MCO-LGA-ATL, end of trip. Now on day two, crew tracking tells the pilot that upon arrival in MCO, he will now fly right back to ATL, arriving at 2000, end of trip.. PB days now begin at 0530 on day 3, reflecting 9+30 hours from 2000. (as if that 2-day were the trip he was assigned to begin with). That is not the same as a "minutes under" early arrival.


But beyond all THAT, the most common misperception among a lot of pilots (myself included for a long time) is the idea that blocking in after 1430 (thus a release + 9 hours that takes you to the next calendar day, thus a whole other PB day) somehow gives you an extra 24 hours off. It does not...UNLESS....you have no more on call days remaining in the month. In that case, your partial PB day, designated as a PR day, truly does become an entire PB day in your PB day bank. But any other time in the month, releasing at 1515 vs 1445 merely means that your PB days begin 30 minutes later. Yes, you do get "another" PB day, but you also have one fewer x day remaining. That is the critical understanding that took me awhile to figure out!

Originally Posted by tennisguru View Post
Also the current system is great if you get rerouted/extended into another day that was originally a LC day but was changed to a PB day when the trip was awarded. Instead of losing lots of pay towards res guarantee you get full extra pay plus I've landed an additional PB day for working into what is now anther day off.
I don't think that getting rerouted into a LC day should get you an extra PB day--but I have no doubt that that happens all the time! If the company can't figure it out then enjoy the windfall. I admit that I could be wrong here.
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